I try not to squirm in my seat under his intense gaze, because with this group, I need to stay strong. The Guard will annihilate the feeblest members of their teams, because to them, weakness is not an option in the field.
“Another thing that needs to be made clear,” Karl is saying, “is that you, in no way, will spew any more of that prejudiced crap toward Will Dane. His participation in this mission is vital, and it has nothing to do with Councilwoman Lilywhite’s wishes. Both Nightstorm and I have determined that his expertise in this arena is critical toward our success today.” He pauses, then delivers the next line with deft precision. “I have never been as ashamed of any team of mine as I am at this moment.”
I try not to laugh at the panicked horror that flashes across nearly every face in the plane. As for me, I’m nearly bursting with pride that Karl is the stand-up man I always thought he was.
The Blaze, Brock, asks in a quiet, low voice tinged with a Southern accent, “Pardon me, sir, but what kind of expertise can a non lend us on an Elders recon?”
But it’s Kellan that answers first. “He’s not a non.” A ghost of a smile graces his lips. “Will Dane is a Métis, which means he’s part Magical. He’s also Molly Hellebore’s son, so he deserves your respect.”
Will stiffens next to me as a collective gasp pings off the metal walls. And then he asks, voice low and carefully controlled to sound bored, “And you know that, how?”
Kellan’s amused. “Did you really think, after everything that’s gone down, I wouldn’t dig up every last piece of dirt on you I could?”
Oh. My. Gods. Seriously? I hiss, “Kellan!”
He’s totally unapologetic, though.
Vance clears his throat. “Hellebore was a wicked good Smith. What’s she up to nowadays?”
Will’s stare is stony. “She’s dead.”
“Oh, man—I’m sorry,” Vance says quietly. It’s obvious he’s grossly uncomfortable, but after what’s just gone down, I have no pity for him.
“We were discussing the mission that Councilwoman Lilywhite is leading us on,” Kellan says to Karl. It’s impossible to miss the annoyance lacing his words, especially as he offers up my official title. Last year, when I served as bait on an Elders mission, he’d begged me not to go. Tried to blackmail me. In the end, I went, but if today’s anything like then, he’s just as pissed off I’m here as I am with his presence.
Even after everything that’s happened since then, old habits die hard.
“Right.” Karl moves toward where I’m standing. “While Councilwoman Lilywhite was on recon in Alaska during a secret, Guard sanctioned mission—”
Wait. What? He’s—is he lying to the team about where I’ve been and what I’ve done? I really should have read Zthane’s report more carefully.
“She and Dane were repeatedly attacked by the Elders.”
“You were what?” The anger in Kellan’s voice nearly knocks me back into my seat.
Okay? I thought Karl told him about what went down already! I turn toward the Quake, who offers no apologies. “Not finished yet, Whitecomb,” he says evenly. But now that he knows that Kellan’s my Connection, too, he’s most likely sympathetic to what Kellan must be feeling right now. And I get it—I do, because had I just found out that Kellan was running around, being attacked by these things, I might be close to losing a gasket, too.
Still, it would have been nice not to blindside Kellan in front of a whole team. Had I known, I would’ve told him yesterday when he was at the apartment. Wait—“I thought you were going to debrief Kellan yesterday,” I say to Karl.
“Yes, well,” Karl leans against the wall, “things came up and it didn’t happen.”
“Which is fine, since you and I are going to discuss this ourselves,” Kellan says to me, like we’re not in the middle of Karl’s briefing.
“Later,” Karl insists. Bless him. “Because right now, you all need to hear the real reason why we’re here. During these attacks, Councilwoman Lilywhite and Dane realized something. There is, in fact, a way to destroy the Elders.”
This bomb goes off exactly as Karl predicted it would. Everyone, even Kellan, suck in their surprise and stare at me and Will like we’re . . . not freaks, exactly, but like we’ve done the impossible. Which I guess we have.
Karl’s grin is grim. “Three Elders no longer exist thanks to these two.”
“You say it was just us, but I think you’re forgetting yourself.” Will taps the floor with the tip of his sword. “I seem to remember quite vividly a certain Quake helping out with two of those beasties.”
Karl shrugs this off like his role was nothing, which is so typically Karl.
“How . . . how is that possible?” Brock asks.
Kellan sits down in the web seat across from me. If I were a betting woman, I’d say he’s a torn between fury and pride over what he’s just learned.